by On Wednesday, Mack Hollins thought the Patriots needed a spark.
In Minnesota, Drake Maye and the Patriots’ first-team offense were out of sync against Brian Flores’ formidable pass-rushing corps when New England faced the Vikings in a competitive joint practice.
Patriots supporters once again feared that Maye and New England’s work-in-progress attack was vulnerable because of a leaky offensive line after Maye was fired several times throughout the team’s tenure together.
To give his team a boost, Hollins eventually delivered for New England after multiple stalled plays, hauling in a 50-yard throw from Maye for a touchdown.
Hollins chose to celebrate his touchdown by punting the ball into a swarm of Vikings supporters at Minnesota’s practice facility after realizing that his squad needed one more shock.
Mack Hollins kicks the ball into the stands after Drake Maye passes to him.Twitter: https://SYKOCgg3yH in
Why such a flamboyant celebration?
Drake found me after I called a play and managed to slip by the coverage. After practice, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive, “I chose to punt the ball in the end zone because I didn’t like the energy.” I have saved up a few bucks to cover the fine, and because I am aware that it is not a flag against the team, it only affects my pocketbook. However, it might give us a small lift in morale.
If the NFL decides to fine Hollins for kicking the ball into the seats, it might cost him because New England did appear to react to his punt.
Following several plays in which Minnesota’s pass-rushers surrounded Maye, a touchdown pass from Hollins initiated a sequence of play in which Maye struck DeMario Douglas for 25 yards before rolling to his right and making contact with Kayshon Boutte for a 30-yard gain.
Later in the two-minute drill, Maye set up rookie TreVeyon Henderson for a 60-yard touchdown after finding him on a wheel route.
We benefited from it. It is beneficial for us to observe a defense that is multifaceted. A couple of times, they got us. Regarding the Patriots’ offensive performance versus Minnesota, Maye remarked, “I feel like we got them.” Seeing that and experiencing a different defense was beneficial to us. Quite different from our defense and somewhat different from Washington.
The Patriots are counting on a number of offseason additions and the ongoing growth of important players like Maye to result in a noticeable improvement on the field.
However, veterans like Hollins could be crucial in bringing vitality to a depth chart that is full of inexperience as New England looks to establish itself as an emerging force in the AFC.
Energy matters. Hollins told Daniels, “I learned early in my career from a coach that emotion is fueled by execution.” Generally speaking, the energy is fairly nice if you’re doing things correctly.
The energy is typically not very good when you’re doing things incorrectly. Therefore, increase the energy if you observe positive developments. It is sometimes necessary to pretend until it is true. A two-minute drill does not have to go the entire two minutes in a play like TreVeyon’s. It matters.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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